


The War Won

by MiniNephthys



Category: Shin Megami Tensei II, Yggdra Union
Genre: Community: kink_bingo, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-28
Updated: 2012-07-28
Packaged: 2017-11-10 22:24:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/471353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiniNephthys/pseuds/MiniNephthys
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A Sabbath gone wrong lands Louis in a different world, where his magic is anathema to the magic of this place and its residents.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The War Won

Someday, Louis is going to have a serious talk with Crowley about how to responsibly hold a Sabbath.

That day is not today, as he is more focused on figuring out exactly where he is and how to get back to Makai.

He considers the classic 'ask someone where you are and what year it is, looking like a madman in the process' approach and decides on something a bit more subtle. Smiling, he walks up to a random woman in the street and says, "Excuse me, miss?"

The woman eyes his immaculate suit. He must either look like an impossibly rich person or an alien. "Yes sir?"

"I was wondering what you thought of the other countries?"

"Well Fantasinians are a lot of stuck-up rich folks, and Verlaine's all right, but Bronquia can do well enough on its own, I'd say..."

Bronquia is the country he's landed in. Louis searches his memory and comes up with nothing. Nothing at all. "Thank you."

Without direction, he wanders through the city. Flarewerk, the signs read. Overhead snippets of conversation reveal that he's in the capital city.

How tiresome it is to walk. Louis tries to teleport again, like he'd done the instant Crowley's badly-performed Sabbath had sent him here. Still nothing. Out of curiosity, he tries a low energy fire spell.

Nothing. None of the magic he thinks to try works. Annoyed, he tucks into an alley and tries to change his form into a child. Still nothin. Even the angelic form won't come, and that is more his proper form than the one he currently wears.

With a sigh, he leaves the alley. As he has no idea of what to do now, he finds a bench to sit on and, for the moment, watches the natives pass while he plans his next move.

After about half an hour, two people catch his eye. One would draw anyone's attention, dressed in a chains and wearing a plate of metal that covers his eyes. The other, a redheaded man, stops when the chained one tugs on his arm.

"What is it, Nessiah?" the redhead asks.

Nessiah seems a bit unsteady. "Describe to me our surroundings."

"Well..." He takes a good look around. "We're next to a bakery, there are a few people passing by, the blond man on the bench is wearing a fancy suit-"

"That will be the one." Nessiah nods, and his chains jangle. "Call him over here."

"The one of- what, exactly?"

"I have no idea," he says. "However, the moment we came near him, all my spells suddenly stopped working."

This is an interesting development. Louis dusts himself off and rises to his feet. As he approaches, Nessiah's companion fixes a glare on him that would terrify lesser men. "Whatever you're doing, stop it. Nessiah needs those spells to see."

Louis shakes his head. "I'm afraid that I'm completely unaware of what's causing this. It's canceling out my magic, as well, and I would like to have that back."

"Gulcasa..." Nessiah holds onto Gulcasa's arm tighter. "I will make do for the moment. Any power that can affect my magic is worth studying in depth."

"But you hate being blind. This can't be pleasant for you."

"Magic is often unpleasant," Nessiah says. "Shall we speak of this in private... I didn't catch your name?"

"Louis Cyphre." Louis holds out a hand, then retracts it when he realizes that Nessiah can't tell. "Pleased to meet you."

* * *

They discuss matters in a bedroom, due to the difficulty of getting out of chairs, and Nessiah seems to take him seriously when he explains being from another world. Gulcasa is a bit more incredulous, but as he says himself, "I'm only here to make sure nothing happens to Nessiah when he's vulnerable. You two can cover the magic parts on your own."

Louis wouldn't jeopardize his best chance of getting home, but he recognizes that he is a very untrustworthy person.

"Your magic and the magic of this world are fundamentally at odds. My magic is the magic of this world, more or less, and when you're near enough to me I can't use it." Nessiah twists the bedsheets with his fingers and continues. "The surest way to see you safely home would be to find a traveler whose form of magic contradicts neither yours nor this world's. I would suggest... Pamela."

"Pamela?" Louis asks.

"Does it have to be Pamela?" Gulcasa asks.

"There is a traveling show of performing Undines that is scheduled to be in Flarewerk within the next few days. Pamela is likely to make an appearance. If you explain your situation to her, she may be convinced to take you home." Nessiah pauses. "If you are particularly attached to any mermaids or mermaid-like beings in your world-"

"I'm not." Louis is puzzled.

"Good. Then the risks are few." Nessiah clears his throat. "Gulcasa, could you escort him to another room? I would like to be able to see again."

"Of course." Gulcasa briefly lays his hand on top of Nessiah's, before turning to Louis. "You heard him. We'll put you in a guest room until the show comes."

"I am grateful for all of your help." Louis follows Gulcasa out of the room, and can hear Nessiah's near-sob of relief.

* * *

It's a surprise when Nessiah comes to visit him, clutching the door frame with both hands. Louis gently pries one of his hands off and leads him to his bed, where he sits down and immediately grabs hold of the sheets.

"I didn't think you would visit on your own," Louis says.

"Danger is not one of my concerns." Nessiah takes a deep breath of air. "We have discussed what is going on, but we have not yet covered enough of the reasons why for my tastes. To pass up an opportunity like this, that only comes around once every few hundred years... I would regret it for a long time. A very long time."

"And so you pushed yourself past your own fears just to see me?" Louis chuckles. "Very well. I respect what you've managed to do, and since I have no intentions of returning here, I suppose I can reveal a little more of who I am."

They spend the afternoon comparing their respective histories with an honesty that Louis suspects would not occur if Nessiah feared seeing the expression on his face.

* * *

Gulcasa brings a bright and bubbly teenager home to the castle and points her in the direction of Louis. Pamela skips when she walks and immediately grates on Louis's nerves, but Nessiah just smiles and asks him to tolerate her just long enough to make the trip.

Nessiah tilts his head up in vaguely the direction of where his gaze would meet Louis's. "It was a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise. I wish you the utmost success in your goals."

"And similarly, I wish you the crushing defeat of your enemies." He laughs lightly. "If ever I visit your world, and I dearly hope it is not through the same method, I will see if I can provide a bit of aid before I return."

Louis smiles at that. "I doubt you have to fear that-"

"Heeeeey, hurry up!" Pamela is making a face. "I haven't got all day you know."

"Very well. Goodbye, Nessiah." Brushing his hand over Nessiah's as he goes, he moves to stand by Pamela. The girl babbles something arcane that even he doesn't understand, and as Nessiah waves-

-he's back in Netzach. The mess from the Sabbath has been cleaned up, and Crowley is pacing around the room. He startles when Louis appears, and begins to stammer. "L-Lor-Lord Lucifer, I-"

"We'll talk later." Louis turns back to Pamela. "Thank you for your services. I can offer payment-"

Pamela grins. "I want to know where the mermaids are~"

"Crowley, give her directions to Binah, and then come find me," Louis says.

Crowley gulps. "Y-yes, Lord Lucifer. Certainly."


End file.
